


You can Have Your Snack and Eat it Too... Next Time.

by ForensicSpider98



Series: Love After the Fact [39]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alien Biology, Alien Cultural Differences, All this stress is bad for the baby, Altean Adam (Voltron), Altean Prince Lance (Voltron), Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Aromantic Asexual Pidge | Katie Holt, Balmeran Hunk (Voltron), Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Galra Shiro (Voltron), Galran Prince Keith (Voltron), Gen, Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, M/M, Moral Ambiguity, Moral Dilemmas, Multi, Nonbinary Pidge | Katie Holt, Olkari Pidge | Katie Holt, Post-War, it's keith. keith is the baby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-15
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:28:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24199756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ForensicSpider98/pseuds/ForensicSpider98
Summary: It's Adam. Adam is the snack.
Relationships: Adam/Shiro (Voltron), Alfor/Coran (Voltron), Allura/Lotor/Romelle (Voltron), Haggar/Zarkon (Voltron), Hunk & Pidge | Katie Holt, Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Series: Love After the Fact [39]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1635043
Comments: 27
Kudos: 191





	You can Have Your Snack and Eat it Too... Next Time.

“Thanks, Hunk.” Shiro smiles, sets up his comms unit to send a live video to Keith. He sighs, staring ruefully down at the plate of pastel… whatever. It’s not food. He refuses to believe it. “Cheers.”

“Some for me too, please.” Adam materializes, sits down next to the captain, stiff and clearly uncomfortable. All his usual flair has faded, leaving him subdued. He seems more like he’s taken the same beating that Lance has. There are shadows under his eyes. It makes sense, if Shiro thinks about it. Adam works when the crown prince works, and said prince has clearly been working nonstop.

Cue awkward silence. Hunk slides a plate over to Adam, receives a murmured thanks in return. He’s so quiet, Shiro realizes. It's a far cry from his cool yet bold rejection earlier.

"Tired?" Shiro asks.

"To the bone." Adam drags a hand down his face, working at the sagging skin beneath his eyes. “Captain?”

“Hm?”

“I apologize for my earlier conduct.”

“I- What?” Shiro stares at the Altean in bafflement. “Why?”

“You are a captain, and I was left at your disposal. My behavior was inexcusable. I was extremely rude.”

“Aren’t you a born noble?”

“Yes. Or I was. Now, I am Crown Prince Lancel’s attendant. While I hold this position, I have no status. I am no more than a servant, though the crown prince keeps me comfortable and facilitates my interests.”

Shiro begins eating, letting the disgusting flavors coat his tongue and the roof of his mouth. He won’t complain; he won’t say a word. Next to him, Adam begins to eat too. He eats like one does when he hasn’t eaten in way too long but doesn’t want anyone to know.

He really is wonderful, Shiro thinks. Hazel eyes, made less approachable by lenses. Brown hair. Brown skin, forest green scales shimmering on his cheeks. Delicate wrists. Strong, clever fingers. Intensity crackles in the air around him -usually-, laser precision in everything he does, including telling Shiro off. 

People never do that; they treat him like he’s perfect. It’s exciting, in a way, that someone remembers he’s not, that he’s a whole and complete person. It’s also humbling.

“Actually?” he whispers, setting his fork aside. “I’m the one who should be apologizing. You were right. It wasn’t about you. It was about me. It was selfish, inconsiderate, and unfair. It wasn’t acceptable to put you in that position. So… In summary, I was an ass, I suck, and I’m sorry.”

Adam finishes his meal, pushes his plate away. He regards Shiro with narrowed eyes, bottom lip caught in his teeth. “Finish your food.”

Shiro chuckles, nods, resumes eating the awful Altean food. “Do you think I’ll die if I eat this?”

“I guess we’ll find out.” Adam turns sideways in his chair, watching the man eat. “Have a good night, Hunk.”

“You too, Adam. Don’t make my kitchen gross. Take it elsewhere.”

“Hm.” Adam stares, making the hair all down Shiro’s back tingle under his uniform.

“I mean it, dude. I cook food here. My staff eat here. My daughter plays here.”

“Yes, I’m aware. Good _night_.” Adam smiles a slick, sly smile as Shiro finishes off his food. Hunk just groans in defeat, shutting off all but the oven lights, leaving them in the relative dark. 

“There! Done!” Shiro wags a finger at the datapad. “You better hold up your end, you drunk little shit.” 

Adam quietly turns off the datapad. “Thank you for the apology. I forgive you.”

Shiro nods. “You’re welcome... and thank you. For forgiving me.”

They sit there in the dimly lit kitchen, illuminated by a row of stoves along the back wall. The coldboxes softly hum. Adam nibbles at his lip, runs a hand through his hair. He’s exhausted, run more than a little ragged. He thanks the Ancients Lance gave him tomorrow off. As much as the crown prince drives himself into the ground, he takes care of his people.

Adam will still try to make his only friend’s load a little lighter. Maybe then Lance can get some rest, too.

Shiro sighs, smiling good-naturedly even in defeat. “Well, Allura needs rest, so we’ll be leaving at our leisure tomorrow. I’d better sleep while I can.” 

The captain makes to stand, but Adam catches him by the collar of his uniform, pulls him in for a kiss. It’s not a long one, only lasting a few ticks, but it’s bold, firm, assured. When Adam pulls back, it’s with a self-satisfied smirk.

“That’s for being a gentleman.”

“I… was the exact opposite of a gentleman,” Shiro whispers, holding those sparkling, green-and-gold eyes with his own as he gapes. He’s not aghast so much as in awe.

Adam shakes his head. “You're gentlemanly enough, even if you are a bit of an idiot sometimes.” The slender attendant stands, small smile still gracing his lips, green scales glowing ever so softly in the twilit room. “It’s better this way, don’t you think? It’s about us.”

“Definitely better… Well actually, I’m supposed to stick my tongue in your mouth-”

Adam laughs, shakes his head. Color swims up into his tired cheeks. “Keith would never agree to those terms. Nice try.” 

They both laugh, a soft, intimate kind of laugh. It sings in the space between them.

Adam lays a hand against the Galra’s cheek, works his fingers into his fur. Shiro purrs deep in his chest, leans into the touch. Adam's smile softens, that nervous worrying of his lip finally ceasing.

Shiro wants this tiny, fragile alien as his mate; he’s sure of it. He has no claws or sharp teeth, and most of his senses are so dull as to be almost useless, but by all the gods he’s the perfect blend of poise, elegance, and chaos. Shiro would take Adam as his mate right now if he thought the Altean would consent, but he knows he won’t. So instead, he simply responds to Adam’s words in an effort to make him stay a little longer.

“No, he wouldn’t.”

“Then I guess you’ll have to wait until next time, won’t you?” Adam bends down, presses their lips together again. It’s oddly sweet, sweeter than Shiro would have thought him capable of. Adam keeps that side of him very well-hidden. “Goodnight, Takashi.”

Adam slips away like a satisfied cat, liquid and smiling. Shiro gazes after him, eyes wide, lips still parted. He laughs into the empty kitchen, lips curling into a grin.

“Goodnight, Adam. Sleep well.”

Next time, huh?

**Author's Note:**

> Next time on Love After the Fact: Keith wakes in the night to find a third person in their bed.


End file.
